# Retrohaling. The most amazing thing. Ever!



## Claes (Dec 19, 2008)

Oh My God!

I have been smoking cigars for four years. Hundreds of cigars smoked, thousands of dollars spent on sticks and equipment.

I just tonight tried retrohaling for the first time.

All I can say is WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!!!!!!!
:shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked:

I feel like tonight was the first time I have ever really "tasted" a cigar.

On one hand I am sad that I have been missing out on this for all this time! On the other time I have loved cigars for the last four years and now I am more excited than ever! It's a great hobby that is even better now! I kind of feel like I discovered electricity for the first time.

How is this not a wider talked about thing!?!?!?!? After trying it I had to search to see how I missed out on this. I didn't find much dedicated to it. There was a lot about inhaling, but this isn't inhaling. On the new puffers stickies almost nothing mentioned. Well I'm here to raise a big stink about it right now.

IF YOU HAVE NEVER TRIED THIS, I RECOMMEND DOING SO ASAP!

Ok enough with the fanboy vernacular. If this is your first time hearing of retrohaling it is the process of moving smoke from your mouth, to your nose without inhaling. The long and short of it, your body "tastes" both through your tongue and nose. Your tongue has limited sensory receptacles and cannot detect all of the nuances. By exhaling through your nose you gain the ability to discern many new flavors. If you want to know more about the process I found this video very helpful:

YouTube - Retrohaling Your Cigar Smoke

Props to n2advnture for his thread of http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/cigar-questions/33480-refining-your-pallette.html

It mentions retrohaling in the thread above, but does not go much into detail about the benefits or how to do it. I also felt the importance of it was diminished by all the overwhelming information. Not that it wasn't written well (which it was) but I recall when I first got into cigars it was almost information overload. Not this thread specifically but all the new info in general.

Again I just feel this deserves some special recognition unto itself.

I grabbed one of my favorite smokes, an Avo XO, and am just astonished at how much better it was. I cannot wait to re-smoke everything I have sampled before!


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## triad47 (Oct 27, 2009)

I actually thing vagina is the most amazing thing ever myself, but retro-haling is up there.


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## obleedo (Feb 4, 2010)

I must say I have never even heard of this so its a first for me. Watched the video and it actually does make sense. I have a feeling ill mess it up the first couple of times, and even though your not supposed to inhale, ill probably cough up a lung, ill let you know how it goes though.


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## eyesack (Jul 19, 2009)

Good stuff bro, glad you liked your venture into snorking! At this point in my smoking career, I probably smoke about 1/2 the cigar using the retrohale technique.

Another thing you might want to try is "aerating the palate". What I do, and you can see me doing it in my recent review of the Ferry Degiri Galactico.

It's actually best to look at this video:
YouTube - That's a ten
Ice Cream taster demonstrates palate aeration. If you can, try doing what my dad finds funny about how I smoke, and "chew" the smoke as you would a wine. I know nothing about chewing wine, so I can't relate there, but really, it's a great way to taste the smoke.

Describe what your tasting as the smoke enters your mouth, what it feels like inside your mouth as you hold it, and the sensations and flavors you find as it exits your mouth/nose. I agree with the post you linked, eat as many different foods/edible things, make mental notes of scents you smell in your environment, and that's how you can 'pull' flavors out of a cigar.

DISCLAIMER: I may indeed be full of :BS, but that's how I do it when I review a cigar =D.


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## bdw1984 (May 6, 2009)

triad47 said:


> I actually thing vagina is the most amazing thing ever myself, but retro-haling is up there.


This is a classic post. I vote for a sticky! Bump for sure!!!! ROFL


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## eyesack (Jul 19, 2009)

bdw1984 said:


> This is a classic post. I vote for a sticky! Bump for sure!!!! ROFL


No no, that "Bump" is actually the, well... let's let Ninjaturtlenerd find this thread and comment LOLZ!


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## jolyrogger (Jan 7, 2010)

Good information.. I will try it out tomorrow when i smoke a Nepalese Warrior..


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## fuente~fuente (May 11, 2009)

triad47 said:


> I actually thing vagina is the most amazing thing ever myself, but retro-haling is up there.


:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

:amen:!!!!!!!


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## seyer0686 (Aug 23, 2008)

When I first started smoking cigars I saw people mention retrohaling. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was... because I do it naturally. I actually have to try to NOT do it.


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## Claes (Dec 19, 2008)

Thanks for the chewing vid Eyesack. I havn't really tried doing it the same way in the video yet but I intend to. Of course in the refuge of my own home. Not sure if I'd make that kind of commotion in public haha.


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## ShortyStogie (Oct 7, 2009)

Now retrohaling a vagina... That's what I'm talkin' about!!!



-SS


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

eyesack said:


> No no, that "Bump" is actually the, well... let's let Ninjaturtlenerd find this thread and comment LOLZ!


ROTFLMAO....Oh, man, your too much! HeHeHaHaHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!
Fauzi :Now retrohaling a vagina... That's what I'm talkin' about!!!....Oh your too bad, been there but I aint talking about it here like you! CHEESH! :kicknuts:


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## Jimbo57 (Aug 15, 2009)

ShortyStogie said:


> Now retrohaling a vagina... That's what I'm talkin' about!!!
> 
> 
> 
> -SS


Man, this thread is starting to veer WAY off course! But it's a damn good course.


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## 96Brigadier (Oct 20, 2009)

I tried retrohaling a month or so ago. I didn't find it real difficult, but I also can't say I really enjoyed it either. I found the smoke to be very dry and it almost felt like the inside of my nose was being tickled or even itchy. I'll give it another try though.


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## Rubix^3 (Nov 10, 2008)

A cautionary tale:

I didn't really try the retro-haling thing till last year, and I did it with a Tatuaje Havana VI. The flavors were so good I was retrohaling every puff, and taking a pull more frequently than normal. Needless to say, within an hour I was munching down snickers bars to stop the room from spinning.
:faint2:


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## necrozen (Dec 28, 2009)

Wow! I had no idea! I need to try this! I'm sure I've done it by accident and not realized it, but knowing the importance of it, now I can really concentrate on doing it. Thanks for sharing!


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## Kevin Keith (Jan 24, 2010)

Claes Writes: "*On one hand I am sad that I have been missing out on this for all this time! On the other time I have loved cigars for the last four years and now I am more excited than ever*!"

Kinda like renewing your vows, huh? : )

Yep, it's a good thang! Glad you "discovered" the joy! Personally, I enjoy not only the flavor, but the pepper as well. Like Campbell's says, "Mmm-mmm, good!"


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## smokin nightly (Sep 9, 2009)

triad47 said:


> I actually thing vagina is the most amazing thing ever myself, but retro-haling is up there.


:biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:

David...That was what I needed to get me going today!


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## RicoPuro (Sep 24, 2008)

"You have now entered a new dimension, a dimension of sight, a dimension of sound..."

Here's the science behind it:

cigar science ￼


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

triad47 said:


> I actually thing vagina is the most amazing thing ever myself, but retro-haling is up there.


ROFL,,,post of the day!


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## GrtndpwrflOZ (May 17, 2007)

triad47 said:


> I actually thing vagina is the most amazing thing ever myself, but retro-haling is up there.


My vote is for VAGINA.
As for "Retrohailing" or whatever you're calling it. People have been doing it forever but I am not sure what they refer to it as. I have never heard of retrohailing though it is the same thing. You exhale thru your nose.

Glad to hear you are enlightened.


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## jaydub13 (Jan 13, 2010)

triad47 said:


> I actually thing vagina is the most amazing thing ever myself, but retro-haling is up there.


ROFLMAO!!! Thank you! My coworkers are wondering what's wrong with me right now, I'm laughing so hard!


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## Nurse_Maduro (Oct 23, 2008)

I find that constant retrohaling dulls my senses, so that I actually get _less_ from the smoke, overall. Usually though, I'll retrohale 3 or 4 times during, and it makes all the difference in the world. For example, A lot of Don Pepin sticks seem to take on a cinnamon flavor in addition to the pepper...very cool.


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## The Muffin Man (Jan 27, 2010)

I'm pretty eager to try this myself.

Thanks for sharing.


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

Also called snorking and been doing this for about 20 years. It's a great "tool" for being able to get more out of your cigar experience.


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## Claes (Dec 19, 2008)

96Brigadier said:


> I tried retrohaling a month or so ago. I didn't find it real difficult, but I also can't say I really enjoyed it either. I found the smoke to be very dry and it almost felt like the inside of my nose was being tickled or even itchy. I'll give it another try though.


Hmmm in honor of the THREADJACK...thanks traid47...lol. I'm going to see how else I can word this for maximum effect.

You won't always like it your first time. In fact some say it hurts their first time. However you just putting it in and out enough all of a sudden a light turns on and goes, WHOAH! This is great! Afterwards you get such a feeling of satisfaction that you wonder how you have wandered through life without it!

Translation: At first you may get a tingling / burning in your nose when you attempt. The key is to finding the right volume of smoke. In the video he recommends exhaling half the smoke first before retrohailing. That is due to the volume of smoke. Also it will take some time to feel comfortable doing this. You may accidentally inhale a few times while attempting. The combined effect is nothing short of great. After retrohaling you can taste new flavors the next pull, as well as new flavors when you retrohale again.

:smoke:


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## triad47 (Oct 27, 2009)

((Your welcome!!! ))


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## jfeva0049 (Nov 19, 2009)

i heard about this some time ago and everytime i get the guts to try it, i end up feeling like my nose is melting off my face. im pretty sure im doing it right, i just cant seem to do it and find it enjoyable. im not sure if i have to exhale less or after time my nose will become use to it. any tips guys???


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

jfeva0049 said:


> i heard about this some time ago and everytime i get the guts to try it, i end up feeling like my nose is melting off my face. im pretty sure im doing it right, i just cant seem to do it and find it enjoyable. im not sure if i have to exhale less or after time my nose will become use to it. any tips guys???


 Smoke cigarettes for 25 years, give them up then start cigar smoking. Worked a treat for me!:dance::tape:


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## obleedo (Feb 4, 2010)

I always thought what it would be like to smoke a cigar if you were spiderman or superman, and this is as close as we will get haha. Its as if your sense of taste and smell are multiplied.
JC Newman Brick House was great.


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## Kevin Keith (Jan 24, 2010)

But Gary...snorking...humph...the term is so, is so...well, _gauche_. ; )


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## CajunMaduro (Dec 2, 2009)

Think I will try them BOTH tonight.


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## cedjunior (Apr 7, 2007)

I suppose I will have to revisit retrohaling. I used to do it all the time - with ease. Then one day I was smoking a cigar just like any other, and while attempting to retrohale I got a very powerful and painful blast of what smelled and felt like ammonia. This was a surprise because I smelled or tasted no ammonia in the cigar before retrohaling it.

Unfortunately after that, every time I tried retrohaling with any cigar it pretty much duplicated my experience that day. When I was in 8th grade I was at my locker before class, it was open, and I started to bend down reaching for something in my locker and the corner of the locker door hit me in the face right next to my nose, on my sinus, and I almost passed out. This is sort of the sensation I would get from retrohaling.


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## eyesack (Jul 19, 2009)

Claes said:


> Thanks for the chewing vid Eyesack. I havn't really tried doing it the same way in the video yet but I intend to. Of course in the refuge of my own home. Not sure if I'd make that kind of commotion in public haha.


LOL come to think of it, the sound that guy makes with his mouth, it kind of sounds like... :shocked:

...Someone say it!


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## Kevin Keith (Jan 24, 2010)

Claes, this thread has taken a very odd turn...:shock:


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## Dread (Oct 16, 2009)

Been retrohaling the gurkha Im doing a review on right now, to tell you the truth I pick up on flavors much more easily by inhaling through both my nose and mouth at the same time right after puffing. Retrohaling does work but I prefer that method better.


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

jfeva0049 said:


> i heard about this some time ago and everytime i get the guts to try it, i end up feeling like my nose is melting off my face. im pretty sure im doing it right, i just cant seem to do it and find it enjoyable. im not sure if i have to exhale less or after time my nose will become use to it. any tips guys???


The trick is too mix the smoke and some air as you "snork" it out. Just blowing smoke out of your nose is going to burn anybody. Take in a nice draw and then blow out a portion of the smoke first and then mix with air as you blow out the rest. Practice first of all by blowing out of your mouth and your nose at the same time as you will have to use the back part of your tongue to help cover your sinus but not all of it cuz you will be blowing some of the cigar smoke thru that small portion. Practice until you get it right and then go for the real smoke.


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## Padron (Dec 20, 2009)

You could call choking "getting a blow job" and it still isn't fun!


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## TheLurch (Dec 28, 2009)

I have been retrohaling for just a little while now after hearing the same thing.....but to me, EVERY cigar tastes the same when I retrohale, exactly the same. Not the case when I just puff away.....I am more of a fan of puffing myself, I guess I am just weird.


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## Rev2010 (Sep 3, 2008)

This whole thing is referring to blowing smoke out through the nose yes? Cause if so I've been doing that since I started. I guess having been a smoker of cigarettes at one point in my life helped make that natural. Definitely a lot more flavor.


Rev.


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## Claes (Dec 19, 2008)

Kevin Keith said:


> Claes, this thread has taken a very odd turn...:shock:


No joke lol :focus:


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## Tarks (Mar 3, 2009)

Glad to hear that you have discovered the wonderful world of the retro hale! Be prepared to not enjoy many of the sticks that you have enjoyed in the past and try to revisit sticks that you didn't care for. IMO, if your not retro haling then you are not enjoying a cigar to its fullest potential.


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## ShortyStogie (Oct 7, 2009)

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this in this thread, but, your nasal passages ARE very sensitive. As a result, you also "taste"more of the smoke, but it hurts more. 

To prevent the discomfort, you should exhale maybe 80% of the smoke out of your mouth, and kind of "swallow" the rest so that it comes out of the nose.

There is an excellent thread on this forum about improving your pallet for cigar smoke. It has tons of amazing points, this being very near the top of the list. I'll try to post a link later on

-SS


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## jolyrogger (Jan 7, 2010)

Yeah i was trying this out today on my first cigar of the day and man it hurt.. after a few tries i got used to it and later on that day when i smoked my nepalese warrior i could really tell the difference when i just regularly puff to retrohaling. It did help define hints of certain flavors that weren't noticeable before i started retrohaling.

on a side note i told my friend about it while we were smoking and i told him to try it and said the first few tries are going to hurt like crazy.. He tried it and coughed out the smoke in pain... I did warn him..


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## Shaz (Oct 10, 2008)

I strongly suggest that anyone who is trying this for the first time should pick out a mild cigar. DPG cigars would probably hurt the first time around.
And as previously suggested, exhale about 80% of the smoke first, then snork the remaining 20% with air mixture. Some of the stronger NCs can be hard on the nasal passages. I find the CCs are the most nasal friendly for the most part. The only way to enjoy all the nuances of a good cigar.


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## The Postman (Dec 11, 2007)

This is a great tecnique for discerning new flavors in cigars. But there is something you have to watch for, because some cigars will tend to burn a little when going out through your nose.


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

IMHO, if your smoking an ISOM and not retrohaling, you are smoking an IS, ie, IS just another smoke.


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## 96Brigadier (Oct 20, 2009)

Tarks said:


> Glad to hear that you have discovered the wonderful world of the retro hale! Be prepared to not enjoy many of the sticks that you have enjoyed in the past and try to revisit sticks that you didn't care for. IMO, if your not retro haling then you are not enjoying a cigar to its fullest potential.


Ahh, the peer pressure, you guys are killing me! Now I have no choice but to get back at retrohaling.

Seriously though, it wasn't real enjoyable the last time I tried it but I'm definitely going to try it again after all of these posts.


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## Shaz (Oct 10, 2008)

96Brigadier said:


> Ahh, the peer pressure, you guys are killing me! Now I have no choice but to get back at retrohaling.
> 
> Seriously though, it wasn't real enjoyable the last time I tried it but I'm definitely going to try it again after all of these posts.


Try it with a lot less smoke. Exhale most of it first.
I find that I'm snorking most of the time now without even thinking about it. Steve, since you're smoking almost exclusively CC's, these are absolutely most enjoyable on the retrohale. Not to put anymore pressure on you.


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## jfeva0049 (Nov 19, 2009)

Cigary said:


> The trick is too mix the smoke and some air as you "snork" it out. Just blowing smoke out of your nose is going to burn anybody. Take in a nice draw and then blow out a portion of the smoke first and then mix with air as you blow out the rest. Practice first of all by blowing out of your mouth and your nose at the same time as you will have to use the back part of your tongue to help cover your sinus but not all of it cuz you will be blowing some of the cigar smoke thru that small portion. Practice until you get it right and then go for the real smoke.


thanks for the tip, i will try this tonight.


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## eNthusiast (Dec 4, 2009)

96Brigadier said:


> Ahh, the peer pressure, you guys are killing me! Now I have no choice but to get back at retrohaling.
> 
> Seriously though, it wasn't real enjoyable the last time I tried it but I'm definitely going to try it again after all of these posts.


don't be discouraged. the first few times WILL burn, but you will get used to it.


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## Bigtotoro (Jul 5, 2009)

triad47 said:


> I actually thing vagina is the most amazing thing ever myself, but retro-haling is up there.


Over in one.


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## gibson_es (Jan 23, 2010)

i like to retrohale when im doing a review, i find it helps me find and recognize the flavors better


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## jolyrogger (Jan 7, 2010)

I haven't had much time in this hobby yet but i have been retrohailing ever since I read this thread and it has helped out alot on refining my palate. It helps me taste flavors that i would not have known they were there... Retrohailing is helping me enjoy this hobby even more now..


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## champions77 (Feb 6, 2010)

seyer0686 said:


> When I first started smoking cigars I saw people mention retrohaling. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was... because I do it naturally. I actually have to try to NOT do it.


Same here. Maybe it is an ex cigarette smoker thing. Were you a smoker?


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## Hwkiller (Feb 14, 2010)

I've done this with every stick I've smoked.

Typically what the most flavorful draw is for me:
Draw on cigar while inhaling through the nose (so you're not inhaling the smoke).
Swish around mouth and open the rear sinus tube, allowing smoke to flow freely into the nose.
Breathe about half of the smoke out through the mouth.
Then breathe the rest out through the nose and mouth.


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## ramparts (Aug 28, 2009)

ShortyStogie said:


> There is an excellent thread on this forum about improving your pallet for cigar smoke. It has tons of amazing points, this being very near the top of the list. I'll try to post a link later on
> 
> -SS


Hey, have you found this thread? I'm trying to develop a better palatte and taste more flavors, so I'd be interested in this.


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## reblyell (Jan 28, 2010)

seyer0686 said:


> When I first started smoking cigars I saw people mention retrohaling. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was... because I do it naturally. I actually have to try to NOT do it.





champions77 said:


> Same here. Maybe it is an ex cigarette smoker thing. Were you a smoker?


Same here. I was a Marlboro man years ago but hadn't smoked a cig in years when I started with cigars.

:cb


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## s_vivo (Jan 31, 2010)

ramparts said:


> Hey, have you found this thread? I'm trying to develop a better palatte and taste more flavors, so I'd be interested in this.


Is this the thread you were after?

http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/cigar-questions/33480-refining-your-pallette.html


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## ShortyStogie (Oct 7, 2009)

s_vivo said:


> Is this the thread you were after?
> 
> http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/cigar-questions/33480-refining-your-pallette.html


yup, that's the thread I meant.... Sorry ramparts...

Do read through it. I, for one, found this as the single largest contributing factor to being able to enjoy cigars like I'm sure they're meant to be enjoyed.

-SS


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## Garnoobie (Feb 21, 2010)

Claes said:


> You won't always like it your first time. In fact some say it hurts their first time. However you just putting it in and out enough all of a sudden a light turns on and goes, WHOAH! This is great! Afterwards you get such a feeling of satisfaction that you wonder how you have wandered through life without it!
> :smoke:





Triad47 said:


> I actually thing vagina is the most amazing thing ever myself, but retro-haling is up there. :smile:


I'm a little lost, are we talking about retro-haling or vagina?


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## mrsmitty (Jan 22, 2009)

I was retro haling before I even knew what it was lol, I wouldn't smoke a cigar any other way. I also retro hail my pipe as well. Also for new puffers try purging your cigar if it starts to turn bitter, makes a world of difference IMHO.


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## Roket279 (Dec 15, 2015)

Although this is an old thread, I also suggest take a smaller puff than usual and retohale, then try larger ones as you get familiar with that particular cigar. Every cigar will be different. I enjoy small puffs as well rather than plumes of overpowering smoke sometimes. A reto hale can be super smooth, sometimes spicy (I likey), sometimes too much and it over powers the palate on your next puff so do small reto hale a to start. 

I also keep a bottle of room temperature water around to cleanse the palate while I smoke. I spit the water out if I can. A little rinse of the palate brings out a whole new flavor, and I'm not talking about ....

Spitting the water works two fold for me, it cleanses the palate while also lessening the nicotine rush. -G


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